The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-17
an INTERESTING CLINIC.
A Csse Which Suggested That of the
Grown Prince of Germany.
Eront he Nan in.s s,tn.


Ffor, the Ns,g io,& sur.
Saturday morning notices were posted on
tho bulletin boards of the medical colleges
ot tho city to the effect that Prof. Robert
Fulton Weir, the Professor Of Clinical Sur
gery Of the College Of Physicians and Sur
geons, would operate that afte, ioor on two
cases Of epithelioma in the operating anlphi~
Fheatre of the New York Hospital on West
Fifteenth street, Invitations to witness the
operations We're also sent to number
of practiciug physicians. About 100
medical students and about twenty-five
well-knoWn physicians were seated in the
amphitheatro. Among them were Profs
Markoe, Peters and Bull, of the College of
Physicians and Surgeons, and the members
of the surgical staff OF the hospital. DR..
Adams, the CHIEF OF the surgical staff, as
sisted Prof. Weir.
The professor wore long white operating
gown which reached almost to his feet. 4
SQUARE table, set on wheels and having n
shelf half way from the floor, bore a glass
tray filled with a solution of carbolic. In
this liquid lay the professors Instruments
THE cases for operation today said the
professor, ARE OF peculiar interest, both
being cases Of epithelioma, which first at
tracted such general attention in the case of
ten. Grant and is at present creating great
interest In the case of the Crown Prince of
Germany. | have not studied the case Of
the Prince, so as to be able TO criticise the
diagnosis made in it, but one thing is certain,
his case proves that we must not trust too
much TO microscopic tests. In his case sew
spral sections Of the growth were examined
which, according to the microscopic, were
lion-malignant Later sections were I'M
doubtedly cancerous. We must Judge for
ourselves as to the advisability of operating,
even when the microscopic pronounces it
non-mahgnant
The professor signalled to his assistants,
and they wheeled in stretcher, on which
lav the patient He had gray hair and was
under the influence of ether. On his right
cheek was the growth. 1t was about the
size and shape of big egg, and looked like
an ulcer.
Eighteen months ago" said the profess
sor, "a small pimple appeared on this mans
cheek 1t enlarged, and he consulted a
physician, who burned the growth with
caustic. This treatment, according to
modern authorities, is not good practice as
it irritates the tunor and promotes its
growth. Within the last year it has grown
10 its present size"
The patients face had been carefully
Ceansed by the professors assistants with a
diluted solution OF hichloride of mercury.
Give me scalpel, said Prof. Weir, "a
sharp one.n
Taking the knife handed him, he care
fully cut ont the tunor, removing about
nnequarter of an inch of healthy tissue on
all sides of the growth, in order to thor
oughly extirpate it. Each artery as it was
severed was seized by pair of self-clamp-
ing artery forceps, until six or eight pair
were hanging to the wound. The big tumor
was removed, together with a small section
of the nasseter muscle and a portion of the
parotid gland, with which the tumor
ad1tf 10 hka1 %o1 f1If
tons ON the molar bone were removed with
a pair of biting forceps, and the cutting was
dressed as an open wound, as TO bring the
e igeS together would distort the mouth
Gauze or cheese cloth, impregnated with
iodoforTn and covered with a mass of cot
ton retained by q bandage, completed the
dressing, after which the patient was re-
moved,
Prof. Weir retired to don clean white
gown, and then his second patient was
brought in. He, too, was under the inhu
ence of ether. He had an epitheliomatious
growth on the loft side Of his tongue.
This man." began the Professor has
confessed to the immoderate use of tobacco,
but do not believe that caused his trouble.
Epithehoma seems TO be contagious. Houses
appear to become infected with it as cases
occur which can be explained in no other
way, We know that two or more members
of the same family become victims to this
disease, when there is no previous history of
the malady in the family, and the only rea-
sonable explanation is the history of conta-
gion. Two years ago this patient bit his
tongue, and this cancer seems to have
developed from that wound"
A stout silk ligature was passed through
each side of the tongue by means of curved
needles Then the tongue was pulled for
ward by the silk threads by an assistant
The professor made a small incision down
the middle of the tongue. He then tore the
tongue with his fingers, down nearly to the
base, as il it were piece of cloth. He cut
off the half which contained the tumor. AS
quickly as possible the severed arteries were
seized and tied with strong silk hgatures
After passing a stout silk cord through the
stump so as to be able to control it in caseo OF
secondary hemorrhages the professor skill
fully cut OFF the other half of the tongue
and also tied up the arteries, This patient,
he said, would have had the same lingering
death as Gen. Grant if the cancer had not
been removed, as it was increasing in size,
aud would in time have eaten away the
tongue and throat.